SOME TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOUR FIREPLACE STOP SMOKING

A smoky fireplace is not only unpleasant; it can also be a fire hazard. Whether your fireplace is regularly smoky or only occasionally so, one or more of these procedures may remedy the situation.

First check to see that the damper is open.

The damper is a hinged metal plate that is usually inside the fireplace where it joins the chimney. Many people close the damper in summer when the fireplace is not being used, and also in winter to prevent cold air from entering the room via the chimney.

A common mistake is forgetting to open the damper again before lighting a fire.

To inspect the damper, you usually have to crouch down and peer upward toward the rear of the fireplace. A flashlight will help. A metal lever inside the fireplace controls the damper. Pushing on the lever opens it; notches along the length of the lever allow you to adjust the opening.

The damper regulates the fire by controlling the flow of air from the fireplace into the chimney.

The correct procedure for using a damper is to open it fully before lighting the fire, then close it a few notches after the fire is well under way by moving the lever with a fireplace poker. If the fireplace begins to smoke after the damper has been lowered, reopen it a notch at a time until the smoking ceases.

Another common cause of fireplace smoking is insufficient air in the room containing the fireplace. This inhibits both combustion and the formation of the draft of air that carries smoke up the chimney.

The test and cure for this problem are usually simple: Try opening one or two windows in the room a few inches while the fire is burning. The fireplace may cease smoking. Experiment until you learn how small an opening is necessary. The amount may vary from fire to fire and may also depend on weather conditions.

Sometimes smokiness is a result of the fire being built too far forward in the fireplace. This causes smoke to float upward into the room instead of up the chimney. The remedy is to build the fire as far back against the rear wall of the fireplace as possible. If that does not work, the proportions of the fireplace may be incorrect.

To avoid this problem, many masons construct fireplaces that are deeper than necessary.

Therefore, if a fireplace smokes, chances are that the cause is not insufficient depth. Instead, the height of the fireplace interior may be too great, or the fireplace opening itself may be too large. The interior, called the firebox, is measured from the fireplace floor to the chimney opening.

To address the first possibility, obtain a grate with legs about four inches long; this will raise the fire closer to the chimney opening so that less updraft is needed to draw the smoke.

The same result can be achieved by covering the fireplace floor with one or more layers of firebrick. Mortaring is not required. Firebrick is available at building supply stores and fireplace and woodstove retailers.

To decrease the size of the fireplace opening, consider installing a metal deflector or hood, which attaches to the chimney breast (the masonry above the opening).

To determine the size of the hood required, first build a fire in the fireplace. Hold a panel of sheet metal or plywood covered with aluminum foil against the chimney breast, even with its lower edge. The panel should be about 15 inches wide and as long as the width of the fireplace opening.

As smoke enters the room, slide the panel downward-diminishing the height of the fireplace opening-until the smoke is contained. Replace the panel with a deflector or hood installed to produce the same effect.

If smokiness persists, consider installing folding glass doors across the entire opening. When closed these doors seal the fireplace, but most allow heat to flow into the room.

Rebuilding the fireplace is also a possibility. Consult a qualified mason.

Smoking can also stem from chimney problems.

Occasional puffs of smoke that enter the room from beneath the chimney breast are usually caused by downdrafts, or air rushing down the chimney in spite of the upward air flow caused by fireplace heat. Downdrafts often occur in windy weather.

If the problem is infrequent, it is usually not worth taking the time to fix.

However, if downdrafts occur often, make sure that a tree does not overhang the chimney and interfere with the flow of air. Trunks and limbs taller than the chimney should be trimmed back so that they come no nearer than 10 feet.

For the same reason, the chimney must project above other structures within a 10-foot radius. It should be at least 3 feet above a flat roof or 2 feet above the peak of a pitched roof.

Consult a mason before trying to lengthen a chimney.

The task usually involves attaching a masonry or metal chimney cap over the top of the opening, which alters air currents over the chimney and increases its height.

Whether fireplace smokiness is frequent or not, inspect the chimney (or have it inspected professionally) for accumulated soot at least once during the heating season and several times if the fireplace is used regularly.

This will reduce the possibility of a chimney fire.

All chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year, preferably in early spring.